


Far From Home

by eerian_sadow



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 05:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15188270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: SOLDIERS are made with Mako and training, or so Shinra has always told everyone. But there's a machine buried in the North Crater that holds deeper secrets, two men who want revenge for what was done to them, and a group of Cybertronians searching for their missing leader--and they all have a vested interest in the truth.





	1. The Time of the Great Calamity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [entangledwood](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=entangledwood).



**Long ago, when the world was young and the Cetra were more than myth and legend, a great calamity struck the Planet. A great creature fell from the stars and began to siphon the life force of the Planet into itself. None could agree if the creature was machine or animal, but all agreed that it was the greatest threat any had ever seen, and the Cetra united to fight the creature.**

**With the help of massive weapons created by the Planet, the creature was defeated. But even the most powerful of Cetra magic and technology could not destroy it. So, to protect the Planet and all who lived on it, they sealed the creature in a prison of rock and ice and buried it far beneath the surface of the world. The Weapons provided by the Planet were entombed with it, the strongest warriors guarded the creature and signs along the path to the prison warned of the danger.**

**_Here lies the great Calamity. Wake it not, lest the whole world suffer and die._ **

**But the Cetra themselves faded with time, and eventually none were left to remember the Calamity.**

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

**Long ago on another world, a great war waged. Two leaders led armies of devoted soldiers, and they both strove to impose their vision of peace and rightness upon their world. In time, the war spread to the stars and to worlds that had long ago been colonized by the warring race.**

**Then, one day, the leader of the army called the Decepticons vanished. His troops swore revenge on the group called Autobots, as they believed their opposite number had assassinated him and hidden the body to sow dissent.**

**The Autobot leader, mourning the loss of a person he had once called brother, vanished into the stars, desperate to find him. If he returned with the missing Decepticon, he believed they might finally find a path to peace together.**

**New leaders rose when it became apparent that neither leader was going to return. The war raged on, and those closest to the missing leaders hoped for a miracle.**


	2. 1977 Years Later

“Professor, I think we’ve found the energy source!”

Gast looked up from his sensor--an almost useless thing that might as well been a divining rod for all the good it was doing in the cavern--and met the eyes of the young woman who had been assigned as his assistant. “Finally. Show me.”

“It’s this way, Professor. But it’s weird, and I don’t think it’s what the company sent us up here for.” The woman turned and walked to a narrow cave that led away from the main cavern.

“At this point, anything useful is good enough. We’re already over budget and the Director is breathing down my neck for results.”

“Hopefully this makes him happy, then.” She led him the gently sloping cave, walking until they were at least another sixty meters down. 

When the ground began to level out again, the cave turned sharply to the left. Then it opened into another cavern, much larger than the one they were using as a campsite. Lanterns fought back the shadows, and light reflected off something embedded in the wall.

His assistant stepped to the side and Professor Gast was met with the sight of a single, bright red eye embedded in dull silver metal and dark rock. “Any idea what it is? Some kind of monster or something?”

“I don’t know.” Gast stepped closer and leaned in to get a better look. “Whatever it is, it was almost certainly worth going over budget for.”


	3. 2005 Years Later

“Sephiroth you've been in here for a while. Maybe you should take a break and get something to eat.” Zack stared into the basement library, looking at his friend where the other man was hunched over a journal.

“I cannot.” The silver haired man looked up, green eyes flashing overly bright in the dim room. “This is my life! My history! The truth about all of us!”

“I get that, but you've got to eat at least. You can't deal with what's in there if you're starving.”

“It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore.”

“Seph, don't say that. Whatever is in there doesn't change who you are.”

Sephiroth laughed once, dark and bitter. “Hojo always told me that my mother was Jenova. Do you know what that was? A machine they found in the North Crater! What else has he lied about?!”

“I don't know, but we can figure this out together.” Zack held his hand out to his friend. “Come on, let's get something to eat and you can tell me what else you've found.”

Sephiroth stared at the other man for a long moment, then closed the journal and stood up.


	4. 2008 Years Later (Present Day)

“Cloud, we are still going to stop them, right?” Aerith’s voice was soft and a little nervous, unlike her usual confident self. “Together, I mean.”

The blond man looked up slowly, eyes--that they had always believed were bright with the mako SOLDIERS were infused with, but now they all knew was something _else_ , too--flashing too brightly in the dim library. “After what what we found, after what they did to me? I'm almost ready to join them!”

“You can't mean that! Everyone will die!” The brunette stepped forward and grabbed his hands, heedless of Cloud’s anger or the ease with which he could crush her bones. “The whole Planet will die!”

“She's right, Cloud.” Tifa stepped into the lamplight, frowning as she approached the pair. “Sephiroth and Zack are going to destroy everything to get rid of that machine in the North Crater. You, me, Marlene, the chocobo ranch and that bird you like so much.”

“And it will not be quick, for anyone in the south.” Nanaki padded into the light as well. “Everyone here has been wronged by Shinra, but that is not a reason to let everyone die when you have the strength to stop them.”

“What do the others say?” Cloud glanced at each of his friends briefly before looking back down at Hojo’s old journal.

“They are ready to do what they can.” The quadruped stepped closer before sitting down next to Tifa. “Even Vincent. We all know that you will need us. Even if all we do is use cure materia on you while you fight.”

Cloud smiled weakly at the joke. A few days earlier, he had been the one with the cure materia while Aerith cast magic stronger than he had ever seen to take down monsters that were all armor and muscle. “Aerith will at least set their hair on fire.”

Both women smiled, recognizing his agreement.


	5. 2008 years, 1 day later (Present Day)

“Look, doc, I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job. But I think it's a really bad idea to go down there alone.” 

The medic glared at the cocky mech they had picked up on Nebulos. “If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked.”

Wheeljack held up his hands. “Look, I'm just saying.”

Bumblebee beeped in agreement. 

“Both of you are ignoring the multiple spark readings on the scanners. If Optimus _is_ on this planet, then those are Matrix spawned newsparks. They will all need check ups, and possibly upgraded frame sets.” Ratchet turned back toward the sensor. “And if they aren't, then we need to know what they are before they infect other organic worlds.”

“That's what Optimus would want,” Arcee agreed. “But Wheeljack is right, too. As much as I hate to say it. All those extra spark readings could be Decepticons. You can't go down there alone.”

“And who is going to go with me, hmm?” The medic looked at his shipmates in turn. “I haven't exactly heard anyone volunteering.”

“Any of us would go, doc.” Wheeljack shrugged. “It's just easier to fight one battle at a time with you.”

Ratchets optics narrowed as he turned to glare at the former Wrecker. “Fighting? I have not even begun to fight!”

“Are you guys done up there yet?” Cliffjumper’s voice filtered through the intercom, sounding tinny and annoyed. “Cause me and Bulk are trying to play lob, but your arguing keeps interrupting.”

“This is why I wanted to go alone! I need some small amount of peace and quiet far away from all of you!”

“Sure,” Wheeljack agreed. “But if there are cons down there, you're gonna need backup.”

“And if it's Optimus, none of you will have been necessary.”

“Just…” Arcee rubbed her for head in frustration. “Take Bumblebee. He's quiet, and people always like him.”

“And he would be just as happy to see Optimus as me.” The white and red mech sighed. “Fine, if only to get off this ship for a while.”


	6. 2008 years, 1 day, 12 hours later (Present Day)

They were trudging up the mountain to the reactor, to make sure that Hojo hadn't left any other surprises behind that could hurt anyone in the village, when Aerith froze. Then she turned her face up to the sky with a sob.

“No, we can't be too late!”

Everyone looked up, Tifa wrapped a comforting arm around the other woman as she did, to see a large shape descending from the sky. At first, there were no details as it was obscured by clouds and distance. But slowly, it resolved into some kind of massive vehicle--one that seemed oddly like the designs Shinra used for some of the troop transports.

“That is not Meteor,” Nanaki said steadily. “Perhaps we did not leave Shinra as far behind as we had hoped.”

“No, that’s not…” Aerith bowed her head for a moment to bring her emotions back under control. “The Planet knows that thing, or something like it. Everything is jumbled but… it’s afraid? It’s afraid of what it’s carrying.”

“So it is a transport,” Cloud said. “We should meet it, then, so we can make sure whatever’s on it stays out of our way.”

“Cloud, no!” Aerith’s voice rose sharply. “We have to leave it alone. Let it have whatever’s in the reactor and get far away.”

“Sounds to me like we need to get over there and kick its ass,” Barret disagreed. “Anything that scares the planet can’t be left alone.”

“Agreed.” Cid spun his spear for emphasis. “I know we gotta get up north before Sephiroth and find whatever it is he’s looking for first, but that transport is a real problem.”

“When did you become a believer, cranky-legs?” Yuffie elbowed the pilot playfully. 

“I’m not. But I’ve seen too much since leaving Rocket Town to be as much of an atheist as I was.” 

“You don’t have to come with us,” Cloud said, ignoring the others and focusing on Aerith. He stepped closer to the two women and reached out to rest a hand on the Cetra’s shoulder. “In fact, it’s probably better if you and a couple of the others stay here where it’s safe, just in case.”

From the corner of his eye, the soldier saw Vincent nod his head and step closer. 

“If I stay, who will heal you when you’ve got a hole the size of Midgar in your stomach?” Aerith scrubbed her eyes and looked up at him with the same determined face she had worn when she was prisoner in Hojo’s laboratory. 

“Okay.” He was still worried about the Cetra, but Cloud gave her a smile that he hoped was as encouraging as he meant it to be. 

“It’s still a good idea for a few of us to stay behind, though,” Tifa added. “Just in case we need to evacuate the village.”

“I will stay,” Vincent said softly. 

“Me too,” Yuffie added. “Wasn’t really interested in crawling around inside the reactor anyway.”

Privately, Cloud thought she was lying, but he nodded. “Thank you. Everyone else, let’s go. Unless I’m misjudging the distance, the transport is going to land pretty close to the reactor anyway.”

“That is the flattest part of the mountains,” Tifa agreed.

Aerith reached up and grabbed Cloud’s hand. “The Planet is ready to help, if it needs to. I’m not sure how, but it’s ready.”

“Thanks.” He turned his hand so he could squeeze hers and then stepped away. The rest of the group fell in with him quickly and then started up the well-worn tourist trail into the mountains.


	7. 2008 years, 2 days later (Present Day)

“I thought you said there were no native lifeforms up here,” Ratchet turned a slow circle as he scanned the clearing thy had landed in. His sensors registered no fewer than a hundred life forms, and a few of them had Cybertronian spark signatures too.

_I said no sapient life, _Bumblebee replied, beeping far too cheerfully.__

__“Well, I think you were wrong about that, too.” The medic pointed toward the east. “There is a cluster of spark signatures that way. Though nothing strong enough to be Optimus.”_ _

___Well, you’ll get to indulge your curiosity about them, then._ _ _

__“I’m not curious, i’m worried. If they are Matrix spawned, they shouldn’t be so far away from its energy yet. Their development would be seriously inhibited without it.”_ _

___What if they aren’t Matrix spawned? What if we’re all wrong and those aren’t really spark signatures?_ The yellow mech’s wings drooped down as he clicked and beeped, the enormity of what he was suggesting sinking in quickly._ _

__“Another life form that resembles Cybertronian sparks so closely? That’s so unlikely that I would call it impossible.” Ratchet turned away before Bumblebee could see the sudden worry that crossed his face._ _

__If Optimus hadn’t been stranded on this planet, then what had they stumbled into the middle of?_ _

__-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ _

__“What are they?” Tifa’s voice barely rose over the noise being created by the machines walking around the reactor._ _

__“They remind me of some of those robotic guards Shinra’s been testing out. You know, the ones for the reactors.” Cid waited for Cloud’s nod of agreement before continuing. “But those don't move like this. Not like people.”_ _

__“Calamity,” Aerith whispered suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her in confusion. She was facing the machines, but her gaze was far away. “The Calamity from the Stars.”_ _

__“Ain't that what wiped your people out?” Barret asked softly._ _

__The Cetra blinked a few times and shook her head. “No. That's what the books say, but we blended with Humans. The Calamity fell from space and tried to… consume the world. The Cetra fought it back with the help of the Planet.”_ _

__“And these machines are like the Calamity?” Nanaki peered around their cover and studied them._ _

__“Yes. But they aren't acting like the Calamity. It definitely attacked, right away.” Aerith chewed her lip for a moment. “We need to know for sure.”_ _

__“Aerith’s right,” Cloud agreed. “We need to be sure. Let's move out where they can see us and see what happens.”_ _

__“You sure that's a good idea?” Barret checked the ammunition loaded in his prosthetic arm. “I ain't sure I'm packing a high enough caliber for something like that.”_ _

__“We gotta know,” Cid replied. Before anyone else could move, he was standing up and moving around the rocks._ _

__“Dammit, Cid!” Cloud scrambled out from behind their cover after him. The others followed quickly._ _

__

__-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ _

__

___Ratchet, one of those spark signatures is approaching fast._ _ _

__Ratchet looked away from his high powered scanner--what exactly was in this installation, none of the readings made sense--and frowned at the scout. “What?”_ _

___From the south, moving fast. Accompanied by several native lifeforms._ Bumblebee shrugged. _We weren't really trying to hide, so they've probably seen us.__ _

__“It's not ideal, but we’ll probably find out more by asking than by poking around this facility.” Ratchet straightened and turned toward the south. “Or, at the very least, we can find out of Optimus is here.”_ _

__A moment later, a group of organic stepped into view. Five of them were obviously the same species--bipedal, with protective growths of varying colors in their heads and artificial covering over their bodies--with a sixth companion of a wildly different body type. Ratchet had almost enough time to wonder how sapient the quadrupedal being was._ _

__Then his scanner chirped happily at him. One of the organics in the group was giving off the spark energy readings Bumblebee had picked up._ _

___Ratchet, are the spark energy readings coming from one of the organics?_ Bumblebee stepped up to his elbow and peered at the scanner. _Are you sure Wheeljack didn't break it?__ _

__“No, he didn't break it. This is the scanner from my personal kit.” The medic looked down at the scanner and then back at the approaching organics. “But if it's right, I have no idea what it means.”_ _

__One of the organics, the one wearing the blue artificial covering and carrying a sword that was completely out of proportion to their frame, shouldered their way around their companion and stepped forward and said something._ _

__Ratchet stared at them for a few kliks before glancing at the scout. “I hope you've downloaded a language packet by now.”_ _


	8. 2008 years, 2 days, 15 minutes later (Present Day)

They argued a bit during their quick walk from their cover to the machines in front of the reactor. The machines had watched them, speaking--Aerith thought--in high pitched whistles, clicks and beeps but hadn’t done more than move closer together as the group approached. Cid and Barret thought they should charge in immediately and eliminate the threat, but Tifa and Nanaki thought they should at least try to communicate before initiating combat. Aerith couldn’t quite shake the Planet’s fear, though it was obvious that the machines weren’t immediately hostile like the Calamity.

Cloud was irritated by it all and stomped ahead of them. Once he was in full view of both machines, he stopped and looked up. He focused on the red and white one, and demanded, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Aerith’s stomach lurched as the machines clicked and beeped back and forth at each other for several seconds. The the red and white machine blinked, startling them all, and frowned. “Say that again?”

“I said, who are you and what are you doing here?” Cloud crossed his arms and glared up at the machine. The Cetra felt fear settle into her stomach with an icy thump.

The yellow machine beeped again, and his shoulders shook like it was laughing. 

The white and red mech turned to his companion and glared--and Aerith was startled that the expression was so obviously recognizable. They were machines, possibly the same kind as the Calamity, but they were also more.

“I am Ratchet, and my very non-humorous companion is Bumblebee. We are here because we have reason to believe our missing leader may have been stranded here some time ago.” 

“What reasons?” Tifa stepped up next to Cloud, hands balled into fists and weight resting on the balls of her feet in case their encounter was about to turn ugly.

The yellow machine made a noise that sounded a little worried.

Ratchet waved a hand at him. “I am aware, Bumblebee. But if we don’t take a few risks, we are never going to find Optimus.”

Bumblebee trilled sadly before nodding.

The red and white machine turned his focus back to Cloud and Tifa. “We believe that Optimus Prime might be on your world, because it is currently hosting a high concentration of Cybertronian spark energy, the life force of our people. It is impossible to create artificially, as it is what you would call a soul.”

Cloud and Tifa exchanged a look. Aerith caught herself stepping closer so that she could get a better look. The Planet still whispered in fear in her head, but the way the machines in front of her acted were so at odds with the old stories her birth mother had told that her desire to know more overrode it.

Nanaki padded up with her, moving to Cloud’s open side and sitting down next to the blond man and looking up at Ratchet. “How are you able to determine the presence of this spark energy?”

“The sensors in our starship are sensitive enough to detect it from orbit. For shorter distances, I use this.” Ratchet held up the boxy device in his hand. “But this close, my onboard sensors are enough to tell me one of you is part Cybertronian.”

The white and red machine looked squarely at Cloud.

“If you know that, what else do you know?” Cloud’s face went flat, as he did his best to hide what he was thinking or feeling. 

“That structure,” Ratchet pointed toward the mako reactor. “Is full of sparks a little younger than you. And there is at least one adult spark near the northern pole of the planet.”

“We know where that one is.” The words were out of Aerith’s mouth before she realized she was speaking. “My people called it--their arrival the Great Calamity. They tried to syphon the Lifestream of the Planet itself, and my people were forced to imprison them before they could destroy the world.”

Bumblebee made a low, sad sound. Ratchet nodded to him. 

“I know that doesn’t sound like Optimus, but starvation can drive a mech to do unthinkable things.” Ratchet sighed, an action that made everyone in the group jump. “Can you guide us to the spark at the pole? If your people did trap Optimus, we need to rescue him. And if it isn’t Optimus, then we still need to remove whoever it is, before this world is overrun with techno-organic life that it can’t support.”

Aerith turned to look at Cloud and Tifa. They both stared back for a moment before the other woman shrugged. “We need to go to the Crater anyway.”

Cloud nodded in agreement. “If you let us use your transport, we might be able to make it before Sephiroth and Zack get there.”

“Who?” Ratchet wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he asked anyway.

“Old friends,” Tifa replied, cutting Cloud off as he opened his mouth. “Sort of. It’s a long story, and we’ll explain on the way.”

“All right.” The white and red machine nodded. “Then let’s go.”

“I’ll go back down an get Vincent and Yuffie,” Aerith said quickly. The planet was _screaming_ again, at the idea of going with the machines, and she needed some space to calm herself again.

“We’ll check the reactor for monsters while you’re gone,” Barret told her, smacking his prosthetic against his good hand. He was clearly still spoiling for the fight they had avoided.

She smiled and nodded. Then she turned and started back down the mountain. A moment later, Tifa joined her. When the martial artist held out her hand, Aerith took it, glad for the support and comfort.


	9. 2008 years, 2 days, 4 hours later (Present Day)

“It’s there. All the way down in the crater.” In the air, higher than even the best of Shinra’s airships or transports could fly, it was easier for her to think, and Aerith had willingly climbed onto the control panel when Bumblebee had offered to lift her up. She could still hear the Planet and its fear, but she had enough distance to feel the mostly pure energy radiating off their mechanical companions. 

Like Cloud, they were muddied with pain and sadness, and no small amount of violence, but they were still good. Nothing like the Calamity.

“Sephiroth and Zack will be heading to the bottom of the crater, too,” Cloud said from his perch next to her. “They’re probably going to try to stop you from taking Jenova off the Planet.”

“Jenova?” Ratchet turned to the SOLDIER with a confused expression.

“The Calamity,” Aerith replied.

“The machine in the mountain,” Nanaki added from the floor. “The one they drew the experimental materials and technology from. Jenova is the code name the Shinra corporation gave them.”

“Professor Gast’s journals from the expedition said that they thought the machine was a weapon, built by Aerith’s people.” Tifa sighed. “They didn’t know any differently until they found someone who could translate the Cetra writing on signs around the cavern. By that time, the Shinra company had already begun reverse engineering the technology.”

“And finding ways to merge it with human embryos.” Cloud looked away from the viewscreen and down at his hands. “I was the first successful adult test subject after Sephiroth and Zack deserted. No one knows how I survived; all the others became monsters.”

“Primus.” Ratchet shuddered. “Cybertronian physiology was never meant to be spliced into organics. It’s a wonder _any_ of you survived.”

“According to the journals, the younger the test subject, the better they adapted.” Cloud returned his focus to the screen.

“Hojo talked about it, when I was his prisoner.” Aerith wrapped her arms around her torso. “Sephiroth had just been conceived when he began experimenting on him, and Zack was five when Shinra paid his parents to allow them to test an experimental vaccine. And there were so many others, Angeal and Rosso and other names I can’t even remember. He bragged about how my children would be stronger than them, once he successfully bred me.”

She choked back a sob at the memory of Hojo’s cold laboratory and colder hands. A moment later, Bumblebee carefully wrapped his hand around her like a hug and crooned comfortingly.

“Thank you.” The sound was soothing and she wiped her eyes before she began crying in earnest. Then Aerith sighed and took the opportunity to turn the conversation away from Shinra and their experiments to something that she hoped would be neutral enough to give her time to compose herself. “Can I ask why you can’t speak our language the way Ratchet can?”

The yellow mach--mech warbled mournfully and shook his head.

“Bumblebee suffered an injury many vorns ago that rendered him incapable of many forms of speech.” Ratchet frowned. “The best surgeons on Cybertron tried and failed to repair the damage. He speaks a simplified version of Cybertronian now, and almost all organic languages are outside his ability to produce.”

“Oh, that’s terrible!” Aerith turned and hugged Bumblebee’s thumb. “I’m so sorry!”

The yellow mech beeped a few times and hugged her gently with his fingers again.

“He says not to worry about it,” Ratchet translated. Bee added a few more clicks and chirps. “And that it’s only fair, since you told us about being experimented on.”

“Guess we’ve all had it rough, huh?”

“So it seems.” Ratchet turned his attention to the viewscreen again. “The shuttle isn’t going to be able to fit down that hole. We’re going to have to climb.”

“Then we climb,” Cloud replied. “We knew we’d have to before you flew us here.”

“Easy for you to say. Even the oldest of you isn’t a thousandth of my age.” The white and red mech gave the swordsman a wry look. “I’ll land us as close to the crater as I can. And all of you can tell us what to expect on the way. I can’t imagine that all of the wildlife is going to be scared away by our size.”

“And neither will Jenova,” Tifa said softly, “If they aren’t who you think they are.”

Bumblebee beeped mournfully and Ratchet nodded. “That is a possibility that does not bear thinking about.”


	10. 2008 years, 2 days, 10 hours later (Present Day)

“When you said there would be dragons, i didn’t expect… this.” Ratchet shook his arm, dislodging bits of blackened paint and corroding metal.

“That wasn’t a dragon.” Yuffie jumped past him, reaching up for a shining stone resting in an alcove in the cave wall. “That was a Malboro. We used to have them in Wutai, before the war. Only good thing Shinra ever did for us.”

“Here, let me rinse you off.” From her perch on Bumblebee’s shoulder, Aerith held out her hands. “You don’t want that to spread.”

“I’ve had worse.” The red and white mech held out his injured arm. “Remember the rust plague on Delphi?”

Bumblebee made a disgusted sound, in a tone that perfectly matched Aerith’s as she looked at the damage. She closed her eyes and chanted softly, and a large bubble of water appeared in the air above his plating. When she fell silent, it splashed down onto the injury and Ratchet hissed as the damaged paint and flaking metal washed away.

He stayed silent about how their so-called magic unnerved him. He didn’t like science he didn’t understand. “At least this is easier to clean up. Are the dragons better or worse than this Malboro creature?”

“I don’t know.” Aerith shrugged. “None of us have actually been here before.”

“Oh, wonderful.” Ratchet laughed bitterly as they headed deeper into the cave.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“This is new damage.” Vincent spoke so rarely that even bumblebee jumped at the soft statement. Everyone turned to look at the former Turk in surprise. Vincent was running his flesh and blood hand carefully over a melted bit of stone. 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Barret asked a moment later.

“It’s very fresh.” Vincent continued tracing the edge of the damaged rock. “And made by magic. We can’t be too far behind them.”

“Good.” Cloud stepped toward the next connecting cave and kept walking. “Then we can stop them before things get worse.”

The rest of the party fell in behind the techno-organic. Neither Cybertronian mentioned the fact that they could walk upright through the shortest part without even brushing the tops of their heads on the ceiling.

Ratchet was beginning to have a very bad feeling about this venture.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Not long after Vincent had realized that the caverns had been recently expanded, Nanaki had taken the lead, using his superior senses of smell and hearing to guide the others ahead while Ratchet and Bumblebee covered the rear. Their size deterred all but the boldest of the monsters that inhabited the crater and its cavern system, though Ratchet was still growing weary of being ambushed by Malboro.

Despite the monsters, they were making good time toward the adult spark signature.

Ratchet was so focused on reading and trying to identify the spark signature through his onboard registration, though, that he almost walked into Bumblebee’s back when the scout stopped suddenly. “Wha--?”

 _”Careful, Ratchet,”_ the yellow mech clicked.

“I hear voices ahead,” Nanaki interrupted before the medic could reply. “Two of them, and one is almost certainly Sephiroth. We must be even more vigilant. This corridor would be a terrible place for two SOLDIERS to charge us.”

Bumblebee placed a hand over his mouth and nodded. His simplified neo-cybex carried further in the caves than anyone else’s voice.

“All right, remember the plan.” Cloud stepped forward, moving up next to the quadruped and peering down the cave. “We talk first, but use force to stop them if necessary. We can’t let them unleash Jenova on Shinra HQ.”

“And try not to wake ‘Jenova’ up until i have a positive identification,” Ratchet added. “As much as I hope that it’s Optimus in there, I can’t get a clear enough spark signature reading to be certain.”

“No promises,” Cloud replied. “Let’s go.”

Ratchet sighed.

They moved into the narrower, though still Cybertronian-sized, section of the corridor. After a few moments, Ratchet could also hear the voices Nanaki had mentioned.

_”Seph, I know what we discussed, but looking at this thing, i’m not sure this is such a good idea after all.”_

_“So, you propose leaving the machine in the crater for the next generation of Hojos to find, then?”_

_“I didn’t say that. What i_ am saying is that i don’t think we can take it once it wakes up. And we sure as hell can’t take it and _those guardians that were in Professor Gast’s journals.”_

_“Then what exactly do you suggest we do? I will not leave even a scrap of Jenova where another living being can find it! They will not continue to use it to control me!”_

_“Or any of the rest of us, I know. You shouldn’t have worked so hard to push Cloud away. He would have helped us. Aerith too, once she understood what was at stake.”_

The group stepped silently into a much larger cavern, and Ratchet felt his vents stall as he took in the scene in front of him.

Two techno-organics, one dressed in blue that matched Cloud’s clothing and one in a long black overcoat and both giving off strong juvenile spark signatures, were standing in front of a broken out section of the cave wall. Through the hole the medic could see a pair of dimly lit red optics set into the face that haunted most of his nightmares.

He opened a comm line to Bumblebee, just as his identification system finally sorted the conflicting spark signatures apart and pingged happily.

**Unknown Signature  
Unknown Signature  
Megatron of Kaon**

_”That is_ not _Optimus,”_ he said shakily over the comm. Outwardly, he did his best to stay composed to keep from frightening their companions.

 _”Tell me something I don’t know,”_ Bumblebee quipped back. _”I’m already calling for backup, but you know how long it will take them to get through the caves.”_

“Bumblebee, let me down,” Aerith said suddenly, interrupting the Cybertronians’ conversation as well as attracting the attention of the two techno-organics. They turned to stare as Bee set her carefully on the ground.

Aerith stepped forward and held her hands out towed the dark-haired member of the pair by the wall. “I’m here, Zack. _We’re_ here, if you really want our help.”

“How?” Zack stepped forward to meet her, and pulled the Cetra into a tight hug. “We thought Hojo caught you in Midgar.”

“He did. Cloud and Tifa rescued me.”

“Then why didn’t we see you in Nibleheim?”

“I was in the catacombs with Vincent. I didn’t even find out the two of you had been there until you were already gone.”

“I am glad you escaped that man’s clutches,” Sephiroth interrupted. He gestured to Ratchet and Bumblebee. “But what are you doing with _them_.”

“They’re from another world. They’ve come to retrieve Jenova,” The Cetra replied. 

“Why?” Sephiroth’s over-bright eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Because that,” Ratchet was proud of how steady his voice stayed, “Is a Cybertronian who will destroy this world for no reason other than its mere presence. And he will do it the moment he comes out of stasis.”

“So it’s not your friend, then.” Tifa’s tone was wry.

“No. That is Megatron, and he is waking up.” 

“Then we destroy it now, before it can harm anyone else.” Sephiroth drew a long sword and turned back toward Megatron. “Surely the addition of two of his own people will tip the balance in our favor.”

Bumblebee stepped forward, clicking and beeping frantically and shaking his head.

Ratchet echoed the motion. “Bumblebee and I have seen Megatron tear his way through entire legions of our own people. He is one of the strongest Cybertronians ever built. And when he wakes, starving and desperate, he won’t be rational enough to know he’s outnumbered. He won’t stop just because he’s injured. He will kill everyone in the cavern, and then he’ll do the same to anyone else who gets in his way while he tries to find fuel. We outnumber him, but we do not outmatch him.”

“And there are no Cetra to stop him, this time.” Aerith dropped her head to Zack’s shoulder. “Not enough, anyway.”

 _”Doc, we got a big problem._ Wheeljack’s sudden comm was unwelcome at best. 

Ratchet did his best to suppress a snarl. _”What could possibly be worse than Megatron?”_

_“Soundwave’s dreadnaught just settled into orbit next to us.”_

The medic growled softly. Soundwave and his crew--and the legions of vehicons on his ship--were complications they didn’t need. “Well, everyone will be happy to know that my pilot has just informed me that things are about to get worse. Megatron’s third in command has just entered orbit and will most likely be bringing a squadron of elite Decepticon warriors to the surface any moment. They can probably sense Megatron’s spark signature from their ship, just like we could.”

The natives all looked at each other uncertainly. Aerith’s already pale complexion faded further. Barret counted the ammunition loaded into his prosthetic arm.

“What do we do then?” Zack finally asked. 

“We hope that Soundwave is in a reasonable mood,” Ratchet replied softly.


	11. 2008 years, 2 days, 12 hours later (Present Day)

At the sound of his lieutenant’s name, Megatron’s optics glowed brighter. A moment later, the medic could hear the sound of a heavy engine growling roughly, as it came back up to full power after too long in standby. Bumblebee’s optics went wide, and Ratchet was certain his didn’t look any less fearful.

“Everyone, out! Get out of the cavern!” the walls began to vibrate as the decepticon leader closed his optics and started to struggle against the rock entombing him. Ratchet hoped they would be able to fall back to at least the next large room in the cave system before the Megatron pulled himself out and brought the ceiling down on them. 

“What the hell?” Barret ducked as a chunk of rock dislodged itself from the ceiling above him and crashed to the ground.

“I told you, he’s waking up. Right now!” The medic moved a few steps, putting himself between the natives and the Decepticon. He could withstand at least one shot from an under-powered fusion cannon, something unarmored organics could never hope to do. “Get out of here! All of you!”

Bumblebee chirped a quick agreement before ducking forward to grab Aerith and Zack. Then he was forced to crouch over them as more rock fell, protecting them the same way the medic intended to protect the others. Sephiroth slid under the scout’s torso a moment later, just avoiding a rock large enough to crush him, even with the modifications he had been given.

If the natives escaped, they could at least tell their backup what had happened to them.

“Go,” Cloud instructed the others. Then he stepped up next to Ratchet and drew. “We’ll hold him off as long as we can. Save the others.”

“Don’t you dare die in here, Cloud Strife.” There was fear in Tifa’s voice, but she was moving _away_ from the falling rock and that was all that Ratchet cared about. 

“No promises,” The swordsman replied. “Get going, all of you.”

Megatron roared and wrestled one arm free of the rock. His optics came back online and he focused on Bumblebee. Angrily, he swiped his claws at the scout. “Yyyyyyyyyyou!”

Bumblebee lifted his arm and shot him in the face. Aerith followed his attack with a blast of magic strong enough to heat the air and melt the rock around Megatron’s face and torso. 

The Decepticon flew back against the wall of his prison with a groan, face and neck covered in scorch marks and blistered plating. A few moments later, a weak, unencrypted comm line opened. “H-help me, Soundwave…”

The room went quiet as they waited, though the air was punctuated with falling rock and Megatron’s heaving vents as the warlord glared at them. Zack and Sephiroth climbed carefully out from under Bumblebee’s protection and took up combat stances next to him. If Megatron attacked again, they were as ready as they could be. Ratchet just had time to draw his own weapon before the room was flooded with the sickly green light of an opening space bridge.

Soundwave had responded to his leader’s call, just as he always had.

Cloud spun around quickly and raised his sword, clearly ready to go down fighting. Ratchet turned around more slowly, dreading what he would see. The Decepticons had always outnumbered and outgunned the Autobots, and their tiny crew could never have matched the might of the legions on Soundwave’s dreadnaught.

His vents stalled as he saw the tall, red and blue mech stepping through the portal behind Soundwave. He knew the frame and face as well as his own, though there were scars he didn’t recognize and his colors were faded, indicating fuel starvation. “Optimus?”

“Hello, old friend.” Optimus Prime gave him a weak smile, though he didn’t step out from behind Soundwave. A moment later, Ratchet could see the stasis cuffs on his wrists and he understood. 

“Soundwave, what..” Ratchet choked on the words, already knowing the answer before he could ask the question. “What do you want for him?”

Silently, the thin mech pointed at Megatron. The warlord attempted to pull himself further out of the wall, and Aerith cast a smaller fireball that landed close enough to singe him again. Megatron stopped moving, and the other cybertronians stared at each other.

 _”Doc, what’s going on?”_ Wheeljack sounded nervous over the comm line that the medic had forgotten to close. _”Arcee, Bulkhead and Cliffjumper are en route, but the Decepticon space fighters are going crazy out here.”_

Ratchet switched to his external pickup so that the Wrecker could listen. The last thing he wanted was a panicked demolitions expert. “You want to trade Optimus for Megatron?”

Sephiroth made a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a hiss. 

Soundwave nodded. A string of conditions flashed quickly over the screen in his faceplate.

Ratchet ignored them. Aerith and the others could hold both Decepticons off long enough for him to get the stasis cuffs off of Optimus and even their odds a bit. “We get Optimus first, and you bridge out after we’ve left the cave.”

Soundwave looked from Ratchet to Bumblebee and Aerith, the latter holding a ball of crackling magic energy between her hands, and then to Megatron. The warlord looked back at him, optics dimming again as his starved systems attempted to compensate for the damage he had taken.

Slowly, Soundwave nodded. Then he gestured for Optimus to step forward. 

“Let’s go.” Somehow, the medic kept his voice steady.

“You can’t just give him away!” Sephiroth sounded pained.

“I can and I have. Let’s go, before Soundwave changes his mind.”

“Seph, it’s a prisoner exchange. The skinny one gets Jenova and we get out alive.” Zack reached out and took the other techno-organic’s arm. “Aerith’s friend is right. Let’s go while we can.”

“There’s still Shinra to shut down,” Aerith added quietly as she crawled out from underneath Bumblebee.

Sephiroth’s free hand clenched into a fist, but he didn’t struggle when Zack led him back into the cavern system. Bumblebee scooped Aerith up and set her on his shoulder and followed, glancing at Optimus as he passed. 

“Soundwave, thank you.” Optimus smiled at the Decepticon. “For this, and for caring for me when you did not have to.”

The played a recording of Megatron’s voice. _”We were brothers, once.”_

“Perhaps someday, we will be again.” The Prime let Ratchet lead him into the cavern system when the medic took him by the elbow and began walking. Cloud followed them, walking backward to provide cover until they were into the next cavern.


	12. 2008 years, 2 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes later (Present Day)

“Somebody want to explain what the hell happened in there?” Cid looked from Ratchet to Cloud.

Cloud shrugged. “Prisoner exchange. I think the big guy is who Ratchet and Bumblebee were looking for to begin with.”

Bumblebee beeped and nodded.

“This is Optimus Prime,” Ratchet said, turning away from the natives and focusing on the stasis cuffs binding his leader’s arms. “Apparently, the Decepticons were holding him prisoner.”

“That is correct.” Optimus sighed with relief as Ratchet disabled the energy restrictor on the cuffs. “Fifteen vorns after I left our homeworld to search for Megatron, my ship was destroyed by pirates. I and three others survived, though we were left for dead in an asteroid belt. Soundwave came across us by chance, and brought us on board in the hopes of gathering information on Megatron’s whereabouts. I have spent the remaining time in a cell, living on minimal rations and what medical care Soundwave could provide when Starscream was worrying about keeping the Decepticons in line.”

“What about the other survivors? Should we be preparing for more of you?” Sephiroth asked the question as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“No.” Optimus shook his head. “One of them did not survive his interrogation, and the others joined Soundwave’s crew rather than continue starving. I cannot say that I blame them.”

The group was silent for several long moments. Finally, when it dragged out too long, Aerith asked, “What will happen to Megatron now?”

“Soundwave will have him repaired and they’ll go back to Cybertron, I imagine.” Ratchet made a little sound of victory as Optimus’ cuffs came loose. “Not that it will do them any good. There’s nothing left there.”

“And what about all of you?” Tifa crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “If there’s nothing left on your homeworld, what happens to you?”

“We do what we’ve been doing. Flying from planet to planet, looking for somewhere we can settle down and live out the rest of our lives.” The medic shrugged and stood up. “Hopefully without anymore Decepticon interference.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Why don’t you stay here?” The words were out of Aerith’s mouth before she realized it, but they didn’t feel wrong. She didn’t want to lose the friend she was making in Bumblebee, but she also didn’t want Ratchet and his people to keep journeying across the stars when the Planet could support them. Megatron wouldn’t have tried to use it as a fuel source two thousand years ago if it couldn’t. “You’re already here, after all. And the Planet can support you the same way it supports us, as long as you’re not building reactors that suck the energy from the ground.”

“That is not a good idea,” Sephiroth interrupted. “You wish to give Hojo three more test subjects?”

“They aren’t exactly sleeping in a mountain, Seph.” Zack grinned at the other techno-organic. “Besides, you saw what the yellow one did to Megatron. You really think Hojo could survive that?”

Bumblebee clicked and hummed before shaking his head. Ratchet nodded in agreement. “There are not just three of us. There are seven, which is a large Cybertronian population for an organic world to support.”

“Ratchet,” Optimus interrupted. “Perhaps we could stay for a little while. I have been in a prison cell for twenty four vorns, without even the reprieve of a viewport. This world would be a nice place to heal and catch up on all the things I have missed.”

“And I suppose you find the natives fascinating?” Ratchet made an unhappy face.

“You know me too well, old friend.”

Aerith grinned. “Is that a yes?”

“Fine, we can stay. At least until I’ve fixed that shoddy patch job Soundwave did. I’ve had drones that could do better repairs.” The white and red mech crossed his arms and mock glared, but Aerith didn’t miss the way his lips were turned up in a tiny smile.

“Let’s get out of here, then,” Tifa said. “Marlene can’t run the bar forever.”

“I better not find out Marlene was running the bar at all!” Barret followed the martial artist as she turned and began making her way back into the cavern system. “She’s six!”

“Watch out for the Malboro,” Ratchet advised as the rest of the group began moving into the cave. “They’ll strip off what little paint you still have before taking out the plating underneath.”

“This world has produced creatures that can injure us? A fascinating place, indeed.” Optimus smiled. “I will be glad to call it home, for however long we stay.”

Aerith glanced down at Bumblebee with a smile and thought that she would be glad for her Planet to become their home, too.


End file.
